By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Democrats face a clear strategic opportunity to capitalize on the government shutdown by focusing on the consequences of the Trump administration’s actions. The first key message should highlight the massive job cuts, which are far greater than those seen with previous efforts and should be presented as deeply unpopular. Secondly, Democrats should highlight the views of Vought, who is seen as a Christian nationalist seeking to reshape the United States according to his beliefs. His vision is antithetical to the Constitution, which guarantees religious freedom.
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Sorry, but You Had to Be an Idiot to Believe Trump Could Lower Prices. It’s truly baffling how anyone could have fallen for such a transparently empty promise, particularly given the man’s track record and the readily available evidence. It’s a question that keeps resurfacing, especially now that the consequences of that misguided faith are so glaringly apparent. The “affordability rally,” as it were, has been nothing short of a disaster, a stark reminder that some promises are simply too good to be true, especially when they’re coming from a source demonstrably lacking in integrity and economic understanding.
How could anyone have fallen for his campaign promises in the first place? It’s a painful question to consider, and the answers are as varied as they are unsettling. The unfortunate truth is that a significant portion of the population seems to be susceptible to blatant falsehoods. Perhaps it’s a willingness to believe what aligns with pre-existing biases, a sort of intellectual laziness, or perhaps a deep-seated desire for someone to “fix” things, regardless of the feasibility or the honesty of the proposed solutions. The irony, of course, is that the very policies trumpeted as solutions have demonstrably exacerbated the problems they supposedly aimed to solve.
The sad reality is that for many, voting wasn’t about the economy; it was about something far more insidious. For some, the driving force was hate, a desire to punish those perceived as “other.” It’s a tragic truth, but many voted for Trump because of the values he represented. The constant barrage of lies, the scapegoating of specific groups, and the appeal to baser instincts – these were not flaws to be overlooked; they were features, carefully calibrated to exploit existing prejudices and anxieties. When someone openly promises to inflict suffering on groups they have a prejudice against it’s clear the only way to escape accountability for the promises is to look the other way.
Every time Trump opened his mouth, it should have been a warning. He was a man who, during his first term, averaged an astonishing 21 lies per day. Yet, he was elected, not once, but twice. His supporters don’t care about the facts. They believe because they are told to believe, whether in church or at the polls. This willingness to embrace falsehoods, to reject evidence, and to prioritize ideology over reality is a dangerous cocktail, and it has led us to the precipice we now find ourselves on. It wasn’t about the complex realities of inflation or the intricacies of economic policy. It was about raw emotion, about the promise of a return to some imagined past, even if that past was built on a foundation of lies and exclusion.
The blame lies squarely with those who voted for it. They voted for a man who openly embraced racism. They voted for a man who, as economists universally predicted, would implement policies guaranteed to raise prices. And yet, they continue to believe, clinging to the false hope that the person who has caused their problems will solve them. They’d vote for him to cause suffering and pain to others that they are prejudiced against.
The answer is simple: they are fucking idiots. They are the poorly educated. They are more excited for hate than they are about the country. They are convinced the alternative is bad. They have been convinced that government institutions are proportionally benefiting the Left.